AuthorTopic: Today in Beatles History (Read 262952 times)

I just came across this and found it very interesting since I grew up listening to this station. It would have been pretty cool if The Beatles first US concert had been here in my area instead of Washington!

This picture shows the moments before a legendary York performance by The Beatles. Taken shortly before their performance at York’s Rialto concert hall in February 1963, a fresh-faced Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are seen alongside co-manager of the Rialto John Hattersley-Colson in the never-before published photograph.

The Beatles were just beginning to create the buzz which would later turn into full-blown Beatlemania and took to the stage of the Rialto in Fishergate to a rapturous reception. Mr Hattersley-Colson, who turned 80 yesterday, was 29 at the time and remembers the band as being friendly and polite. He recalls they arrived by a big Austin Princess car, and stopped for a drink at the Edinburgh Arms.

He said: “They were nice young lads, there were no airs and graces with them. They were ordinary Lancashire lads like me. The show was fantastic, it went very well indeed. People who went never forgot it. When they became really famous I thought ‘I had a mug of tea with those lads and a laugh and a joke and a giggle with them’.”

The night saw fans disappointed when Helen Shapiro cancelled her performance due to flu. The Evening Press from February 28, however, told how the Fab Four went down a storm with the crowd.

Our reviewer at the time wrote: “Screams of delight greeted The Beatles – a Liverpool quartet who obliged with the songs they wrote themselves and which have taken them into the Hit Parade – Love Me Do and Please Please Me.”York Beatles Appreciation Society Published April 23, 2013

1961: The Beatles perform at noon at the Cavern Club, then at the Casanova Club, Sampson and Barlow's New Ballroom in Liverpool and finally at the Town Hall in Litherland, Liverpool with Ray and the Del Renas.

1962: Performance at the Cavern Club, with Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Searchers.

It ("Cry for a Shadow") was (originally, in 1961) intended to be released as the B-side of "Why", another Sheridan song with the Beatles, but the record company chose to release another song instead. In early 1964, as the Beatles were gaining popularity, the record company Polydor decided to release it, with "Why" changed to the b-side. "Cry for a Shadow"'s original title was "Beatle Bop".

"Cry for a Shadow" was the only officially released Beatles single to feature Pete Best on drums. Wikipedia

1972: The Lennons' six-month US visitor's visas expire. They are allowed only a 15-day extension. This is the beginning of a three-and-one-half-year struggle by John Lennon to continue to reside in America.

1970: The Beatles’ final performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was on this date when clips for “Let it Be” and “The Two of Us” were aired. In addition to these, this episode, entitled "Beatles Songbook" featured live performances of other Beatles songs.

1961: Performance at the Town Hall in Litherland, Liverpool with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes (with Ringo) and the Dominoes.

1962: St. John’s Hall, BootleTower Ballroom, New Brighton, Wallasey

“The Bootle date was a slight reversion to habitats of old inglorious jive halls. But it was played because young promoter Dave Forshaw always saved and worked hard so that occasionally he could present a top-line act for his clientele. Later in the evening The Beatles went across the Mersey for another Tower booking, billed on this occasion as a ‘Mad March Rock Ball’.”The Complete Beatles, Mark Lewisohn, page 66

1965: Filming: Help!, the BahamasThe Beatles filmed more scenes in the Bahamas on this day. The action took place on Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island, and Victoria Beach on Rose Island, on this and the following two days, for their second feature film Help!. BeatlesBible

1966: Brian flies to New York to finish plans for the next Beatles tour.

1963: Live: Plaza Ballroom, St HelensThis was The Beatles' fifth and final appearance at the Plaza Ballroom in St Helens, Lancashire. They had first performed there on 25 June 1962. This was the first time The Beatles were paid £100 for a performance. As an indication of how far they had come in less than a year, they were paid just £25 for their first show at the venue. Beatles Bible

1964: Filming: A Hard Day's NightAs on the previous day, The Beatles travelled between Acton, in west London, and Minehead in the west of England, filming more of the train sequences in their debut film A Hard Day's Night. The train stopped briefly at Crowcombe Heathfield Station in Somerset, where The Beatles ran and cycled alongside the slow-moving train to taunt a fellow passenger, played by Richard Vernon. BeatlesBible

1967: Michael Bullock is reinstated by Brian as Saville Theatre house manager. He was fired after the February 19th incident at the Chuck Berry concert.

1969: “It was now almost five weeks since the Get Back recording sessions, in which time, it seems, the Beatles had decided to all but wash their hands of the entire project. One day in early March John and Paul called Glyn Johns into EMI, pointed to a pile of eight-track tapes-the result of those ten January days at Apple- and offered Johns free rein in preparing a finished album. Glyn duly booked time at his favourite venue, Olympic Sound Studios, and set to work.” The Complete Beatles Chronicle, Mark Lewisohn, page 316

Lewisohn goes on to say that new records uncovered at EMI in 1991 contain different and, he feels, more reliable information about Glyn John’s work on this project than he had offered in his 1988 book The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions. He also comments on the thoroughness of EMI’s records of all The Beatles recording sessions.

1962: Lunchtime performance at the Cavern ClubNight performance at the Kingsway Club, Southport

1963: It was very confusing trying to find the correct date on which Angus McBean captured the photo that graced the cover of “Please Please Me”. Some sources said it happened in February, some say today and some don’t even venture a guess. I think the confusion stems from the fact that there were two sessions with different photographers in and around EMI in February and March. Both involved stairs. I believe this account may be correct:http://www.norwegianwood.org/beatles/english/albumcovers.html

The site linked below has the photos from today’s photo session with EMI photographer John Dove, taken outside EMI and then later inside, before and during the recording session. There are two pages and also links to mp3s of the session. These are for download but can also be found on YouTube.

1964: Filming: A Hard Day's NightDay five of the filming for A Hard Day's Night, The Beatles' debut feature film. As on the previous three days, the group boarded a train at Acton Main Line in west London, to film railway scenes for the early part of the film. On this day their train travelled between London and Newton Abbot in the county of Devon. BeatlesBible

1966: Paul McCartney and Jane Asher began a skiing vacation today, during which Paul composed “For No One”.During March 1966, Paul McCartney took a two week ski vacation in Klosters, Switzerland, with his girlfriend, Jane Asher. It was there that he wrote one of his greatest, yet somewhat overlooked, compositions. The evocative lyrics are descriptive of the end of a relationship and the melody, although simple, fits perfectly with the baroque pop style that was coming into play about this time. In The Beatles Anthology book, John Lennon is quoted as saying it was a nice piece of work and called it one of his favorites of Paul’s. http://www.thebeatlesrarity.com/2011/08/15/beatles-rarity-of-the-week-for-no-one-vocal-overdub-session-may-1966/

1972: Five days after it was granted, the temporary extension of John Lennon's US visitor's visa is cancelled. Efforts to deport Lennon heat up. The Lennons engage specialist immigration lawyer, Leon Wildes, to handle their case. http://history.absoluteelsewhere.net/March/march6.html

1961: Performance at the Casanova Club, Sampson and Barlow's New Ballroom in Liverpool.

1962: “On March 7 1962 the Beatles entered a BBC studio for the first time. It was the beginning of a long and productive relationship between the group and BBC radio. Between March 1962 and June 1965 the Beatles appeared on over fifty radio shows and progressed from a group without a record contract to a group with the world at their feet.In the three years of regular broadcasts for the Beeb, the Beatles performed eighty-eight different songs. Thirty-two of those songs were Lennon-McCartney originals; the others were cover versions-mostly American rhythm and blues songs. Thirty-six of the songs were never issued on disc by the Beatles.” The Beatles at the Beeb, Kevin Howlett, page 10

“In the audience that night was local lad Rob Taylor, then in his twenties. He reminisced about enjoying the show, but it was an event afterwards that stands out in his mind above everything else:

"When the show had ended I nipped off quickly to the loo before me and my mates left for home. After a while wandering around, I realized I was lost. One of the doors I randomly tried led into a sitting area where I could see some people chatting. When they heard the door open they turned around and I could see that it was the Beatles. It could have been very awkward, me walking in on them like that, but they were very nice about it. They directed me to the toilet and I went on my way." multiplusbooks.com

1982: “On 7 March 1982, Radio One celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the first Beatles’ radio broadcast with a special programme called “The Beatles at the Beeb”. Many songs, not available on disc but recorded by the BBC, were aired for the first time since the early sixties”. Howlett, page 10

1965: Help!: Filming continues at the hospital on New Providence Island.

1965: Brian attended the evening presentation of this year's Mecca Carl Alan awards at the Empire Ballroom, Leicester Square, London. He accepted awards from Princess Margaret behalf of the Beatles for best group. The awards were televised by BBC1. This award is sometimes referred to as the Oscar of the dance world.

“The track became a Top 20 hit during the spring of 1982, although Elton abandoned performing it live until the mid ‘90s because -- as the artist explained to interviewer David Frost in 1994 -- it was “simply to painful to play.” However, he did begin adding it to his repertoire later in the decade.” http://www.allmusic.com/song/empty-garden-hey-hey-johnny-t1868713

1961: Lunchtime performance at the Cavern ClubNight performances at the Grosvenor Ballroom, Liscard, Wallesy and St. John’s Hall, Tuebrook, LiverpoolThe Wallasey dance was the last date arranged by Allan Williams. (He hadn’t booked them anywhere other than at this hall since their return from Hamburg three months previously.) The Complete Beatles Chronicle, Mark Lewisohn, page 41

1962: Performance at the Youth Club, St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church Hall, Tranmere, Birkenhead

Although The Beatles hadn't been placed on the top of the bill prior to the tour, the audience reaction after the first night in London ensured that the group closed the show on this and all subsequent tour dates. BeatlesBible.com

1964: Filming: A Hard Day's NightOn this day Ringo Starr filmed part of his solo sequence for The Beatles' debut film A Hard Day's Night. The location was the Turks Head pub on Winchester Road in Twickenham, Middlesex. BeatlesBible.com

Following a fortnight of filming on New Providence Island, Bahamas, The Beatles began their long journey back to London, flying from Nassau International Airport. They arrived in London Airport the following day at 7.05am.

1961: The Beatles performed the “Beatles Farewell Show” at Aintree Institute in Aintree, Liverpool with the Night Boppers, Ray and the Del Renas, the Cliff Roberts Rockers and the Ravens. Then they performed at the Liverpool Jazz Society in Liverpool with Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Remo Four, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, the Big Three, Dale Roberts and the Jaywalkers, Derry and the Seniors, Ray and the Del Renas, the Pressman, Johnny Rocco and the Jets, and Faron and the Tempest Tornadoes.

“The LJS engagement was a true innovation on the part of Sam Leach, certainly the most adventurous and ambitious rock dance promoter in the Merseyside area: a 12-group, 12-hour, all-night session, commencing at 8.00 Saturday night and finishing at 8.00 Sunday morning…..Although the attendance capacity of the Temple Street cellar was 1000, approximately 2000 people saw at least some part of the show. Leach was to hold similar marathon “Big Beat Sessions” over the next two years at several different venues, most (although not all) of which featured the Beatles as the main attraction.” The Complete Beatles Chronicle, Mark Lewisohn, page 41

The Beatles' UK tour with Tommy Roe and Chris Montez had a rest day on 10 and 11 March 1963. On this second day, however, the group made an appearance - their fourth and final one - on the Radio Luxembourg show The Friday Spectacular. The group was interviewed at EMI House in London's Manchester Square. The studio versions of Please Please Me and Ask Me Why were played in between sections of interview, and the show was broadcast from 10pm on 15 March. BeatlesBible.com

1963: Brian Epstein's letter to Stowe schoolboy David Moores:

BE/J/BA:

11th March 1963

Dear David,

Thank you for your recent letter, enclosing £1. 10. 6 for the BEATLES L.P. Record; I am enclosing your receipt and, as soon as the record is available, a copy will be sent to you.

We have today written to the Green Man Hotel at Syresham to see if they can accommodate the group and, if this is possible, it would be appreciated if you could show them the way; after which they will take you back to school.

With regard to autographs, the boys will be very pleased to sign these for you during the time they are at the [?]

Looking forward to seeing you.

Yours sincerely,Brian Epstein.multiplusbooks

1964: Filming: A Hard Day's NightThis was The Beatles' first day in Twickenham Film Studios, where they would later shoot Help!, Let It Be and a number of promotional videos and solo projects. On this day The Beatles worked from 8am to 10pm, filming the I Should Have Known Better sequence. A set was built to resemble a train guard's van, which was rocked while The Beatles mimed to the song. At one point, however, director Richard Lester had to stop the shoot because the technicians were rocking the set in time with the song.